Damn, How could my family be so wealthy?!-Chapter 475 - 474 Hope Faded Away

"Look, even his own grandson says that Old Man Gu can’t pull together that much cash. What do you think Old Man Gu is stirring up trouble here for?"

"What else could it be for if not to give Old Master Su a hard time?"

"Such a person is the definition of a villain. Clearly, it was Old Man Gu who insulted the young master of the Su Family first, and now he has the nerve to act wronged?"

"Isn’t that the truth? I’ve always felt that Old Man Gu isn’t a good person."

"Right, we should definitely keep our distance from people like him in the future."

...

Due to Young Master Gu’s uncontrollable loud voice, everyone’s view of Old Man Gu was elevated to a new level.

No matter how you slice it, initially, everyone’s assumption that Old Man Gu couldn’t afford the genuine Tang Bohu was nothing more than speculation.

After all, no one could be absolutely certain whether he would be able to come up with that much cash in the end.

But things were different now.

The one speaking these words was none other than Old Man Gu’s own grandson.

Someone who was truly a member of his family.

So, the words of Young Master Gu were undoubtedly highly credible.

The suspicions about Old Man Gu that everyone had been harboring were now legitimately brought to light.

"Shut your mouth."

This time, Old Man Gu was truly beside himself with rage.

Being exposed by his own grandson in front of so many people, Old Man Gu felt like he had been utterly humiliated.

This was even more hurtful than when Su Junqiang initially retorted Old Man Gu’s mockery.

Old Man Gu knew that raising his bidder’s paddle so many times in an attempt to save face,

had now become an act that had made him lose even more face due to his grandson’s words.

"I..."

Young Master Gu seemed about to say something more, but seemed to think better of it and obediently shut his mouth, taking his seat next to Old Man Gu once again.

The auction was only at the second call for bids, and Young Master Gu thought there might still be a chance to turn things around.

The Su Family was wealthy, which Young Master Gu obviously knew.

Young Master Gu felt that two hundred million in cash was an astronomical sum for the Gu Family, but for the Su Family, it was probably just a drop in the bucket.

The turnaround Young Master Gu envisioned hinged on Elder Su’s apparent fondness for the real Tang Bohu piece earlier.

If Elder Su continued to bid, then his grandfather’s previous bid would have been for naught.

With this in mind, Young Master Gu once again gripped his own bidder’s paddle tightly.

He had made up his mind that once Elder Su made another bid, he would make sure his grandfather didn’t get his hands on that paddle.

Right now, keeping a tight hold on that bidder’s paddle was the most important thing in Young Master Gu’s life.

Young Master Gu also kept his eyes locked on the three members of the Su Family who were seated in the front row, center.

Every move the Su Family members made was of great significance to Young Master Gu.

In particular, the bidder’s paddle in Mr. Fook’s hands had become both a lifeline for Young Master Gu and, one could say, for the entire Gu Family.

Young Master Gu knew that if Mr. Fook raised his bidder’s paddle, it would mean his own family’s salvation.

Of course, whether Mr. Fook would lift the paddle depended on Elder Su’s decision.

Young Master Gu now hoped to see Elder Su turn his head and say something to Mr. Fook.

At least that would indicate Elder Su was giving Mr. Fook some instructions.

Young Master Gu felt that would bring Mr. Fook closer to raising his paddle.

However, Young Master Gu’s observation of the three Su Family members turned out to be in vain.

They didn’t make a single extraneous move.

It was as if Elder Su’s earlier enthusiasm for Tang Bohu’s "Thoughts on a Donkey Ride" had suddenly dissipated.

A chill began to creep into Young Master Gu’s heart.

Turning to glance at Old Man Gu, he noticed that the old man too was watching Elder Su intently.

Not only that, but Young Master Gu was surprised to see sweat trickling down the old man’s face.

Young Master Gu looked around the auction hall, noting that the central air conditioning overhead was still running non-stop.

Even a young person like himself could feel the pleasant chill of the AC.

Why would an older man like his grandfather be so overheated?

But Young Master Gu was no fool and quickly understood why his grandfather was sweating profusely.

He himself had felt a surge of heat when he heard Old Man Gu’s bid.

It was entirely due to being too excited, or rather, too anxious.

Understanding his grandfather’s state, Young Master Gu suddenly realized Old Man Gu’s true intentions.

It turns out that Old Man Gu wasn’t clueless about the Gu Family’s financial capabilities, nor was he merely pretending to be richer than he was.

It seems Old Man Gu’s real motive was to cause mischief.

At the very least, with the last bid of twenty-two million, Young Master Gu was certain that Old Man Gu just wanted Elder Su to spend more money.

As for the previous bids, where he increased by only one million each time, Young Master Gu was still unsure of his grandfather’s true intentions.

Having grasped his grandfather’s real plan, Young Master Gu also continued to watch Elder Su intently.

It could be said that whether the Gu Family would have good days ahead was now entirely in Elder Su’s hands.

If Elder Su fell for Old Man Gu’s move and continued to bid, it would mean a temporary reprieve from the Gu Family’s financial crisis.

Whether the Gu Family could carry on properly in Huadong City was not a current concern for Old Man Gu and Young Master Gu.

Still, Young Master Gu worried what they would do if Elder Su didn’t take the bait. What then?

For the Gu Family to come up with two hundred million in cash was definitely unrealistic.

But to fail to produce that amount would mean Old Man Gu had defaulted.

The Gu Family would then owe a significant sum in damages.

For the Gu Family, that was no small amount.

It seemed the members of the Gu Family might not have any good days to look forward to for a long time.

Of course, that was if the Gu Family’s business could continue steadily as it was.

Time slowly passed, and Old Man Gu and Young Master Gu watched the Su Family, unshakable as a mountain.

Their hope was eroding bit by bit.

The others were also silent, focusing their attention on Elder Su, Su Mu, and Mr. Fook in the front row.

The final outcome would depend on the Su Family’s wishes.

At this point, the keen observers had seen a glimmer of what was happening, and now, with just a short wait, they would be able to confirm if things were indeed as they had suspected.

The auctioneer watched as time ticked away, quickly approaching the moment for his third call.

Yet there was absolutely no movement from Elder Su’s end.

Although the auctioneer was prepared for this possibility,

when it actually came to that point, he couldn’t deny feeling regret.

Not only did he feel as if he had let down Elder Su,

there was also the fact that the most valuable auction item of the day might not complete the normal process due to the nuisance caused by some despicable person.

Since Elder Su had not indicated his stance, the auctioneer couldn’t outright ask for Old Master Su’s intentions.

In an auction, isn’t it evident that a person who doesn’t raise their paddle is saying it all?

Where is there a reason for the auctioneer to specifically ask a customer if they want to continue bidding?

If the auctioneer truly did that, it wouldn’t just be against the auction’s rules,

it would be a sign of disrespect towards Elder Su.

Would not that be equivalent to indirect coercion?

The auctioneer surely could not and dared not commit such an act.

So, after not receiving any response to his earnest gaze, the auctioneer was forced to call out Boss Gu’s most recent bid with reluctance.

"Two billion for the third time."

"Mr. Fook just bid two billion, the third call."

The auctioneer felt it was imperative to clearly state that the two billion was called by Old Man Gu.

Even though there were surveillance cameras in the auction hall, the auctioneer still needed to emphasize repeatedly that the two billion bid was made by Old Man Gu.

It wasn’t because the auctioneer was showing off how high Old Man Gu’s bid was in front of everyone.

The auctioneer wanted to make it unmistakably clear to Old Man Gu that this price was his own doing.

Everyone is an adult; naturally, Old Man Gu should be responsible for his actions.

As the auctioneer made this third call, Old Man Gu’s body visibly trembled.

It was not only Young Master Gu, sitting next to Old Man Gu, who noticed.

Those who had turned their heads to see Old Man Gu’s embarrassment at the auctioneer’s third call also clearly saw him trembling.

Now, whether they understood initially or not, it became clear to everyone that Old Man Gu was nothing but a paper tiger.

He might not even qualify as a paper tiger—a paper sick cat at best.

Thinking that by being a little fatter, he could pretend to be a tiger when he’s just a sick cat.

Everyone knew that Old Man Gu’s successive bids were merely troublemaking.

Even if Old Man Gu initially truly intended to purchase the Tang Bohu original to prove himself and regain some face,

now, in the eyes of others, it all seemed like Old Man Gu was simply shamelessly clinging on out of desperation.

Not for any other reason but that Old Man Gu’s physical reaction revealed that he never truly intended to purchase the eighth auction item,

and it also proved that he did not possess the financial capability.

The answer had been revealed, and naturally, no one was going to consider whether Old Man Gu had this in mind from the beginning or if it developed during the auction process.

Old Man Gu might as well have been crucified by everyone’s unanimous verdict.

All that awaited Old Man Gu was an even more disdainful gaze from the crowd.

And yet, at this moment, Old Man Gu no longer had the luxury of noticing those scornful looks.

For Old Man Gu, there was still that sliver of hope.

It was that, before the auctioneer’s hammer fell, Mr. Fook, who was beside Su Junqiang, would lift his bidding paddle.

Old Man Gu’s eyes, already somewhat murky, stared straight ahead.

It seemed as if he had automatically blocked out everyone sitting in the middle rows.

In Old Man Gu’s eyes, the only person left to see was Mr. Fook.

Old Man Gu knew that the bidding paddle was in Mr. Fook’s hands; heavyweights like Su Junqiang didn’t need to raise their own paddles.

Thus, even though he knew that Mr. Fook’s every action was directed by Su Junqiang, Old Man Gu no longer had the energy to keep his eyes on Su Junqiang.

For Old Man Gu, what mattered most now was the result.

Since Old Man Gu was only focusing on the outcome, naturally Mr. Fook’s every move became the most crucial to him.

Sadly, reality was just that cruel.

Old Man Gu had thought that he had caused Su Junqiang some trouble, making him spend more money.

But in the end, Old Man Gu found that it was he who had truly fallen into the trap.

With the fall of the auctioneer’s hammer, Old Man Gu’s last bit of hope also shattered.

There was no raising of paddles, no calling out of bids, not a whisper of movement came from Su Junqiang’s side.

Only now did Old Man Gu belatedly realize that Su Junqiang was still the same Su Junqiang of the past.

Perhaps it was only because he was older now, and since Su Junqiang was no longer directly in charge of the Su Family conglomerate, that Old Man Gu fell into the illusion that Su Junqiang had lost his way in the sharp-elbowed world of business.

Old Man Gu had thought he could easily play a trick to flaunt his own agenda.

Old Man Gu sadly discovered that he had miscalculated.

Indeed, from the moment Old Man Gu started to plot against Su Junqiang, the current outcome was already sealed.

Could members of the Su Family be outwitted by a mere old man from the Gu Family?

The bitter fruit of his own making was something Old Man Gu would ultimately have to swallow himself.

"The last item of today’s auction, renowned as the leader of the Four Great Talents, Tang Bohu’s ’Thoughts on the Homeward Ride,’ has been acquired by Boss Gu with a bid of two billion."

The auctioneer announced the auction results of this last item in great detail.

Of course, the reason the auctioneer was so detailed was to remind Old Man Gu that this was his own doing, and naturally, Old Man Gu had to bear the consequence.

As the auctioneer’s final words fell, not a single round of applause was heard.

Even the auctioneer didn’t offer a symbolic clap.

The mood was unanimous; what was there to celebrate about Old Man Gu acquiring Tang Bohu’s ’Thoughts on the Homeward Ride’?

It was very clear to everyone whether Old Man Gu could produce those two billion or not.

Hadn’t Old Man Gu’s grandson already made it very clear?

This wasn’t even a matter that required guesswork anymore.

Since it was impossible for Old Man Gu to come up with two billion in cash, the final ownership of Tang Bohu’s original work would certainly not belong to him.

Naturally, there was no need for the audience to offer applause in celebration either.

Another very important point was that Old Man Gu had now thoroughly offended Elder Su.

From the trap Elder Su had set, it was clear that Elder Su no longer held any regard for Old Man Gu.

Such a person would naturally not receive even the slightest expression of affection from anyone.